Scrum Master reference: 0000079748

Embark on a Rewarding Career as a Scrum Master at Barclays Knutsford

Barclays is seeking a motivated and experienced Scrum Master to join their dynamic Customer Care Servicing Team in Knutsford. This is a fantastic opportunity for individuals passionate about Agile methodologies and eager to drive the development and delivery of innovative software solutions. You will play a pivotal role in creating seamless, modern, and resilient technology experiences that empower both Barclays colleagues and their valued customers across mobile, phone-based support, and branch environments.

What Makes This Opportunity Stand Out?

• Impactful Role: Contribute directly to the enhancement of critical customer-facing and internal support systems, shaping the future of how Barclays operates and serves its clients.
• Agile Leadership: Be at the forefront of Agile practices, coaching teams, removing impediments, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and high performance.
• Collaborative Environment: Work within a supportive and dynamic team environment focused on delivering exceptional results through effective collaboration.
• Professional Growth: Barclays invests in its people. This role offers opportunities to deepen your understanding of Agile frameworks, expand your SDLC knowledge, and potentially gain exposure to SAFe environments.
• Strategic Contribution: Beyond day-to-day facilitation, you'll have the chance to influence decision-making, contribute to policy development, and strengthen risk and control frameworks.

Key Considerations for Aspiring Candidates:

To thrive in this Scrum Master role, candidates should possess a solid foundation in Agile principles and practices. Your ability to facilitate Scrum ceremonies effectively and build strong, collaborative team dynamics will be crucial.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Proven experience in facilitating Agile ceremonies and cultivating a collaborative team atmosphere.
• A deep understanding of various Agile frameworks such as Scrum, Kanban, and SAFe, with the capability to coach teams on best practices.
• Knowledge of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), relevant tooling, and development practices.

Valued Additional Skills:

• Possession of a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) or an equivalent Agile certification.
• Prior experience working within a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) environment.

Beyond Technical Prowess:

Barclays also values candidates who demonstrate strength in critical areas that underpin successful leadership and contribution within a large financial institution. You may be assessed on your proficiency in:

• Risk and Controls: Understanding and managing risks associated with software development and delivery.
• Change and Transformation: Navigating and driving change initiatives within the team and broader organization.
• Business Acumen & Strategic Thinking: Aligning team efforts with business objectives and contributing to strategic direction.
• Digital and Technology: A forward-thinking approach to leveraging technology.

Your Role in Driving Excellence:

As a Scrum Master, your primary responsibility is to empower Agile teams. You will ensure adherence to Scrum principles, proactively remove obstacles, enhance team collaboration, and facilitate seamless communication. This allows the team to focus on delivering high-quality, iterative results and maximizing customer value.

Key Accountabilities will include:

• Facilitating Scrum Events: Ensuring all events are productive, positive, and stay within their allocated timeboxes.
• Supporting Iteration Execution: Championing the quality of artifacts and continuous customer value delivery, alongside backlog refinement and stakeholder feedback integration.
• Optimizing Team Flow: Proactively identifying and resolving conflicts that impede team progress, using metrics to foster effective communication and transparency.
• Mitigating Risks: Identifying and escalating impediments to shield the team from external disruptions.
• Building High-Performing Teams: Coaching Agile team attributes, fostering continuous improvement, encouraging stakeholder collaboration, and driving team excellence.
• Stakeholder Management: Facilitating productive collaborations with various stakeholders, including business teams, product owners, and vendors, to build and maintain trust.
• Governance and Reporting: Ensuring data integrity and representing the team in relevant governance forums.

Assistant Vice President Expectations:

For those stepping into or already in a leadership capacity, the expectations are high. You will be instrumental in advising and influencing decision-making, contributing to policy development, and ensuring operational effectiveness. Collaboration across various functions and divisions is key. If you are a People Leader, you will be expected to embody the Barclays LEAD behaviours – Listen and be authentic, Energise and inspire, Align across the enterprise, and Develop others – creating an environment where colleagues can truly thrive.

For individual contributors, the emphasis is on leading collaborative assignments, guiding team members, identifying opportunities for cross-functional methodologies, and consulting on complex issues. You will be expected to proactively identify risks and contribute to the development of new policies and procedures, strengthening the control and governance agenda. A deep understanding of how different areas coordinate to achieve organizational objectives, coupled with effective communication of complex information and stakeholder influence, will be vital.

Barclays Values and Mindset:

All colleagues at Barclays are expected to embody the core Barclays Values: Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence, and Stewardship. Furthermore, the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge, and Drive – serves as the operating manual for how everyone behaves, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and ethical conduct.

This Scrum Master position at Barclays Knutsford presents a compelling opportunity for professionals looking to advance their careers within a leading global financial institution, contributing to tangible improvements in technology and customer experience.